Frank Silver

Frank Silverstadt (September 8, 1892 – June 14, 1960), better known by his stage name Frank Silver, was an American songwriter, jazz drummer and vaudeville performer. He was best known for co-writing and co-composing the popular song "Yes! We Have No Bananas" in 1923 with Irving Cohn. He wrote at least 75 songs in his career.

Born in Boston, Silver grew up on the lower East Side of Manhattan. He began playing drums in a Bowery music hall's orchestra when he was 15.

Early in Silver's career, he conducted orchestras in vaudeville houses and was a drummer in Loew's Metropolitan Theatre's orchestra. After those jobs, he toured with his own 12-piece band, playing one-night stands. He also performed with the Hitchy-Koo traveling revue of Raymond Hitchcock and worked at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Other songs that Silver wrote included "Icky Wicky Woo" and "What Do We Get from Boston? (Beans, Beans, Beans)".

Silver was married twice, Dora Silverstadt (born Mandelbaum) and had two sons, Robert and Arthur; Victoria Silverstadt (born Martinkus) and had a son, Frank.

On June 14, 1960, Silver died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Brooklyn Jewish Hospital at age 68.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 8, 1892 (Boston), Died June 14, 1960

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1904 - 1925

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer, leader

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-1323 10-in. 5/18/1904 Mississippi Mamie Harry Macdonough Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-1480 10-in. 6/15/1904 Mississippi Mamie Harry Macdonough Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor A-1480 7-in. 6/15/1904 Mississippi Mamie Harry Macdonough Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-1768 10-in. 10/13/1904 You must think I'm Santa Claus! Bob Roberts Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor B-24580 10-in. 11/24/1920 In the dusk Original Dixieland Jazz Band Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-27765 10-in. 4/19/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Victor B-27855 10-in. 4/26/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Great White Way Orchestra ; Billy Murray Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor B-28195 10-in. 7/17/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Eduardo Migliaccio ("Farfariello") Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Victor B-28291 10-in. 7/17/1923 Je ch'ob nit kein panenis Gus Goldstein Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia 1903 10-in. between January and November 1904 You must think I'm Santa Claus Bob Roberts Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 80932 10-in. 3/31/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Furman and Nash Male vocal duet, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia 81035 10-in. 5/25/1923 Yes! We have no bananas The Original Memphis Five Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia 81053 10-in. 6/6/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Lanin's Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W140529 10-in. 4/15/1925 What do we get from Boston? Van and Schenck Male vocal duet, with piano songwriter  
Columbia 89337 10-in. approximately July 1923 Yes, we have no bananas Giuseppe Milano Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia 89339 10-in. July 1923 Yes, mir haben kein bananas Clara Gold ; Gus Goldstein Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
OKeh S-70263 10-in. Oct. 1921 Yes we have no bananas National Male Quartette Male vocal quartet, with orchestra songwriter  
OKeh S-71557 10-in. May 1923 Yes! We have no bananas Blue Diamond Dance Orchestra ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
OKeh S-71592 10-in. June 1923 Yes! We have no bananas Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
OKeh S-71684 10-in. July 1923 Yes! We have no bananas Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez Jazz/dance band songwriter  
OKeh S-71774 10-in. August 1923 Yes, no got no banana Coppia Roma-Borelli Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 10663-10666 10-in. 5/16/1923 Yes, we have no bananas Benny Krueger’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Brunswick 10702-10705 10-in. 5/21/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Benny Krueger’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Edison 8989 10-in. 5/18/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Green Brothers' Novelty Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Edison 9018 10-in. 6/8/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 9213 10-in. 10/19/1923 Yes, we have no bananas Billy Jones Male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 9227 10-in. 10/29/1923 Yes, we have no bananas Harvey Hindermyer Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 9859 10-in. 11/20/1924 Take me Frank Silver Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Edison 9865 10-in. 11/22/1924 Underneath a sunny sky Frank Silver Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Edison 10274 10-in. 3/24/1925 If you knew Susie (Like I know Susie) Frank Silver Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Edison 10275 10-in. 3/24/1925 What do we get from Boston? Frank Silver Dance Orchestra ; Lawrence A. Murphy Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, songwriter  
Edison 10310 10-in. 4/10/1925 Sweet Kalula Lou Frank Silver Dance Orchestra ; Lawrence A. Murphy Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Edison 10311 10-in. 4/10/1925 Mamie Frank Silver Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Silver, Frank," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116908.

Silver, Frank. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116908.

"Silver, Frank." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116908

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